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UGD scheme may bring relief to a city and a river

The second phase of the scheme aims to protect the Tunga river from pollution

Drainage enters Tunga river at six points

Two treatment plants to be set up at Tyajavalli, Purle

SHIMOGA: The second phase of the Under Ground Drainage (UGD) scheme sanctioned for Shimoga city by the State Government is designed to meet a projected growth in population for the next 15 years.

The implementation of the second phase became inevitable as the first phase introduced in 1980 was fraught with defects, which worsened sanitation problems.

The second phase of the UGD, which is drawn up at a total cost of Rs. 160 crore, covers the entire Shimoga city.

The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board is the implementing agency for the UGD scheme.

Inadequate

The plan drawn up for the UGD according to the 2001 census, when the city's population was 2.74 lakh, covers hardly 30 per cent of the population now. The present population is 3.25 lakh.

The second phase has been drawn up after taking into consideration the population growth till 2021 by which time it is expected to reach the 4.7-lakh mark.

Laying of pipelines

Under the scheme, separate drainage pipelines will be laid in areas such as Anna Nagar, Tunga Nagar, RML Nagar, Tippu Nagar, Gopshettikoppa, Ashwathnagar, Navule, Shankarmath Road, Basaweshwar Nagar, Vidyanagar and Gopal which are so far not covered under the UGD. Besides, the repairs of the pipeline laid under the first phase will be taken up.

Fund release

The UGD pipeline runs to nearly 225 km. The Government has already given its administrative approval for the release of first instalment of Rs. 61.8 crore for the implementation of the scheme at the Cabinet meeting held last week.

Fifty per cent of the cost will be borne by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board through loans to be raised from various sources while the remaining would be shared equally by the Government and the City Municipal Council.

The thrust of the second phase is to protect the Tunga from being polluted by the drainage and sewage that enters the river at six points, according to the Executive Engineer of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, Magegowda. Under the new plan, wastewater will be treated and then released, he says.

It is proposed to bring the wastewater to the main treatment plant to be installed at Tyajavalli at an estimated cost of Rs. 19.16 crore. Forty-one acres of land have been acquired to set up the plant.

Apart from this, one more treatment plant is proposed to be set up at a cost of Rs. 16 crore at Purle where 12 acres of land have been acquired.

It is expected that the direct release of polluted water into the Tunga can be avoided in about two years when the treatment plants become operational.